The 64-bit ARM (AArch64) port image of Debian/Ubuntu has surfaced. Debian-based Linux is now ready to play in a 64-bit ARM world, months ahead of any hardware appearing for the general public. Similar to x86_64, Linux is the first operating system ready for the new architecture...

Too bad ARM is a fragmented mess.
No device are the same, and all vendors do things differently.

So you cant compile a general unified ARM image like you can do on x86 where same image works on all computers.

On ARM, you have to build a image specific for a board, so if its built for Raspberry Pi, then it wont work on Rikomagic MK802 device, and vice versa. So every device need its own custom distribution image.

02-27-2013, 04:39 PM

Ericg

Quote:

Originally Posted by uid313

On ARM, you have to build a image specific for a board, so if its built for Raspberry Pi, then it wont work on Rikomagic MK802 device, and vice versa. So every device need its own custom distribution image.

Its not gonna be like that forever; the kernel devs are already working on a 'unified-ARM' tree that will build and run across all ARM cpu's. First steps towards that got taken late last year

02-27-2013, 06:19 PM

Krysto

Quote:

Originally Posted by uid313

Too bad ARM is a fragmented mess.
No device are the same, and all vendors do things differently.

So you cant compile a general unified ARM image like you can do on x86 where same image works on all computers.

On ARM, you have to build a image specific for a board, so if its built for Raspberry Pi, then it wont work on Rikomagic MK802 device, and vice versa. So every device need its own custom distribution image.

The kernel has already been reworked to support a unified ARM kernel. So it's just a matter of time before it supports most of the ARM devices out there.

I expect all future 64 bit ARMv8 chips to be supported from day one. So you'll be able to install Linux on any ARMv8 device. You really don't want to use a Linux distro on hardware that is older than Cortex A15 anyway. Just like with Windows RT, it would be too slow. But might as well wait for the 64 bit Cortex A50 chips that will also be more powerful than Cortex A15.

02-28-2013, 01:10 PM

dee.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't ARM planning on enforcing some standards on ARMv8 implementations that should ensure that the same kind of fragmentation wouldn't happen that we now have with v7?

At least that's what I heard somewhere. Can't remember where, I might be mistaken or something.